Caring
by namaster
Summary: Pepper escaped the danger once again. The aftermath of a possible drama.


So, Pepper was hurt once again because of him, Tony thought. Well, almost hurt, he corrected himself. The Iron man was there right in time to snatch her out of the deadly danger.

The doctor said she was ok, just needed some rest. The doctor actually put it different: "Ms. Potts needs to rest, Mr. Stark. She requires absolute anxiety free environment for as long as you can manage to provide. Her nervous system is probably on a verge of breakdown."

"Does this guy know who is he talking about?" Tony wondered. "Pepper is really tough. She can take a little stress. What I need to do is keep her safe. That means keep her close because there is no way on Earth I let anyone harm her. But that was close, that was way too close…"

"Mr. Stark, are you listening?" the doctor seemed to get impatient. "Ms. Potts is to sleep, not to be worried in any case, and" the man looked at Tony disapprovingly but continued "and not to be annoyed."

"Who is going to put her through all that terrible things you describe here, doc? There is only me and my driver in the house!"

The doctor gazed at him suspiciously, probably deciding whether or not Tony was in his right mind and how safe it was to leave Ms. Potts with this definitely disturbed man.

Tony settled for more serious tone "I'll take care of her, I promise".

Pepper slept through all the afternoon waking up just once. She recognized Tony's room at first then the man himself. She was lying on the bed still in her work clothes. At that point she remembered the kidnapping and her fighting fiercely back and Tony coming to save her and…Oh! she was so tired, she just wanted to go back to sleep, but she needed to change first. Pepper made an attempt to sit up. Her body ached and she had no strength whatsoever.

"Hey" Tony whispered lifting his eyes of the tablet in his hand. "What is it? Do you want some water?"

Pepper stared at him apparently not comprehending.

"Some water?" he repeated. "Maybe something to eat?" Still no response "Want to yell at me?"

"I want to go to my room and I want to change." she managed to mumble, her tongue heavy in her mouth.

"Uhm, I can give you one of my shirts to wear." Tony suggested.

"I want to go to my room and I want to change." she repeated stubbornly.

"Not to worry and not to annoy." Tony thought to himself. But he couldn't let her disappear in her room and shut him out, not in this state.

"Well, you room has been blown up" he said quickly.

"What?" she could see he was making stuff up but didn't have the strength to argue her point.

"Not to worry and not to annoy." Tony was repeating this sentence like a mantra in his head.

"Nothing to worry about, I'll reimburse!" he offered a light smile. Apparently, the smiles were not working so well because Pepper did not return any of the smiles which weren't unusual but she didn't give him the talk or the stare either.

He scooted closer to her on the bed and tentatively put a hand on her arm.

"Hey, it's ok. You are ok. I am ok. You just need to rest a little." Pepper looked Tony in the eyes.

"You just need to rest" he assured her "And I will be guarding your sleep. The best sleep keeper you could find!" he announced proudly. She almost smiled to that.

She went to the bathroom and put on one of Tony's shirts.

Next time Pepper woke up she found herself on a couch wrapped in a sheet. The room looked familiar again. "The basement?" she thought. "How on Earth did I end up here? And… am I deaf now?" an urge of panic rose inside of her until she felt some mufflers around her head. Removing them slowly she heard a very loud music banging; Pepper quickly went back to silence putting the mufflers back on. She stood up unsteady but the moment her feet touched the floor every mechanism that was moving around her stopped and Tony emerged from behind some machinery. He was saying something, so Pepper was forced to go to the world of sounds again only to find that absolute silence was now present at the basement.

"Hey" Tony was approaching her rather quickly."Did I wake you? I had an alarm system functioning on the floor around you" he looked proud for a second then concerned.

"How did I get here?" Pepper questioned.

"Uhm, well, just sort of carried you here. Did not want to leave you alone." Actually, Tony didn't want to let Pepper of his sight. He wanted her to stay close to him. This way he could protect her.

Pepper furrowed her eyebrows at this confession and his nonchalant tone, as if he were her usual means of transportation.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired to change the subject.

"Fine" That was Pepper's answer. Obviously she was far from fine as she sat back on the couch wincing.

"What is it?" Tony was at her side in a second.

"My back hurts. Can you … can you take a look?" she sounded hesitant.

Tony lifted up her shirt, well, his shirt on her and revealed what looked like a scratch on her lower back. It was probably from the fight she put on, he thought. He slowly traced the wound with his finger; it wasn't deep but went almost encircling her waist. She exhaled sharply upon his touch leaping forward, lowering her head, feeling the sting. Her sigh hitched his breath, he felt the pain, her pain. Tony looked at Pepper's fragile frame and a wave of guilt washed over him. She was hurting because of him. He placed his hands on her sides and put his forehead between her shoulder blades, then exhaled and shook his head.

"I am sorry, Pepper, I am so sorry" he whispered.

"Tony" the tenderness in her voice nearly killed him. She wasn't angry. He puts her through hell and she is still..still..He just couldn't take it. With that thought Tony pulled Pepper on his lap, his left hand encircling her body while his right hand was pressing her head in the crook of his neck. He then rocked with her for some indefinite time mumbling incoherent soothing words in her ear, soothing both of them.


End file.
